Drabble: Taxis

[electricalgwen]

This is really a reach for the prompt "tax, taxi, taxing etc." at open_on_sunday.

Taxis

It’s dark. Really dark. Blink your eyes and strain your vision but there’s nothing to be seen dark. Where the hell is he? Can’t be his room, the curtains never shut properly.

His head hurts. Did he get drunk last night? He can’t actually remember much of anything. Definitely feels hungover, though. He’s desperately thirsty, and his mouth tastes like something died in it.

He reaches out to grope for a lightswitch. His hand hits wood, not six inches from his face.

Instinct quells panic. Wood splinters and he burrows up through the soil, drawn by the promise of nourishment.


taxis (n): reflex translational or orientational movement by a freely motile and usually simple organism in relation to a source of stimulation

Comments

[stretfordditto.livejournal.com]

Superb and stuff.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

It may be a stretch on the prompt, but it was wonderfully and vividly written.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Very nice!

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

[cordelianne.livejournal.com]

Oooh, it's very cool what you did with the prompt. The build to the revelation is great, as is this: Instinct quells panic.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[scarlettlily.livejournal.com]

Oooo very interesting to see this point after his turning.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

I saw that definition when I was hunting around for ideas. Wondered if anyone would use it. Don't considered it much of a stretch at all.

Wonderful result, too.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was actually the first thing that came to mind and I wanted to do something, I haven't written for open_on_sunday in ages.

[apreludetoanend.livejournal.com]

You killed him! I liked it though, especially this: He’s desperately thirsty, and his mouth feels like something died in it. And I think it's a great use of the prompt.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I wrote it with a generic victim in mind. It only occurred to me it might be Xander when I went looking for a suitable userpic! Either I am particularly clueless these days (a distinct possibility) or my subconscious is doing sneaky things.

[laisserais]

hee! i love the implication from the definition that now that xander's a vamp, he's a simpler organism. *g*

hooray for vamp!xander! i don't know why, but i can never get enough of him. you totally captured the horrific panic of that moment. or it feels that way to me, lol. oh man! waking up and hitting wood in front of your face? ack! but then instinct takes over...

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Haha, yeah. I wrote the drabble just thinking of the movement along a gradient (of light, chemicals, whatever) and then went looking for a definition. That one won out, when I saw the "usually simple"!

Waking up in, and digging your way out of, your own grave must be a pretty horrific event...